Public Service Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku has unveiled a new plan to expand the internship programme by partnering with the private sector.
Speaking in an interview on Monday, July 28, Ruku disclosed that the government aims to place at least 50,000 interns annually into the private sector.
"The President has instructed me to start making plans; the public service and private sector will come together to create an Internship Programme that will take in not less than 50,000 interns every year," he said.
Ruku admitted that the current programme which accommodates only 5,000 interns falls far short of the country’s growing demand.
"The Internship Programme has become more robust. Currently, the Internship Programme takes in about 5,000 young people in the public sector. 5,000 is a very small number compared to the number of youth graduating every year from various universities and colleges," he said.
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This comes two weeks after the National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (NYOTA) Project launched a new program aimed at equipping young Kenyans with real-world job experience and increasing their chances of employment.
In a notice on Tuesday, July 15, the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports said the initiative, which includes an On-the-Job Experience (OJE) intervention, targets unemployed youth across all 47 counties.
The program offers hands-on workplace learning, mentorship from industry professionals, and access to a nationally recognized certificate.
To qualify, applicants must be between 18–29 years of age, or up to 35 for persons with disabilities.
Additionally, they must be unemployed or in a low-income or vulnerable job, and should also have a Form 4 level of education or below.
Participants in the program will benefit from life skills training, business and digital skills training, and hands-on training in real work environments.
They will also benefit from mentorship from industry experts, a nationally recognized certificate and an improved ability to secure employment.
Interested youth can apply by dialing *254#, selecting the NYOTA Project option, and following the instructions.
Applications are currently open from Friday, July 11, to Friday, August 15.
